Page 16 of The Runaway Bride

Yasmine: Yes, sir. I’ll haveit aired out and ready by this evening.

I grin at the ‘The Boss’ thatYasmine had me enter, as she was determined that everyone should know exactlywho was calling. Even down to my right-hand men. Yasmine has been with thefamily a long time, and I’ve tried to have her retire, but she’ll have none ofit. Instead, I had a room downstairs near the kitchen turned into a bedroomsuite. That way she can stay here forever and always feel a part of the runningof the mansion. She is going to love having Elli here. She has wanted me tofind a wife for a long time, and I know she’s going to spoil Elli. I just hopethat Elli is good with her, and she’ll be kind to the staff.

Walking out of the office, I giveGail a smile as I stop before her desk. “I’m going to the mansion office. Youcan either come with me and work from there or stay here.”

“I’ll stay as I have some work tocatch up on, and Luigi asked me for some information which I need to dig out.”Gail quickly looks back at her computer monitor, not realizing she’s dismissedme, which I have to admit amuses me because when it dawns on her what she’sdone she’ll go into her very own panic mode.

Gail is helping all the new Caposwith any and all information they are asking for. She’s holding interviews nextweek for secretaries for them, but she’s tough on applicants, so it may takesome time to find the right ones.

Forty minutes later I walk intomy office at the mansion, thankful that I kept this place which isn’t too farfrom my main office. Dante had grumbled that he’s bored and needs something todo while I’m in the office, mansion or gym. I imagine it does get boringwaiting for something to do, so I upgraded him to driver and butler. That, hedidn’t like at all, but I was able to keep the humor of it to myself until now.Holding back the smirk is not going to happen and it turns into a laugh when Iremember Yasmine’s frown when I told her she now has a butler in the mansion.

My phone rings and I pick up whenI see it’s Alex Palmeri calling, “Alex?”

“Boss, I needed you to know assoon as I did that Renata has gone missing. I went over to the house to checkon her and pick up the last of my belongings and the staff told me she leftyesterday lunchtime and hasn’t been back.”

“I see. Leave it with me Alex,I’ll alert my men, we’ll find her.” Closing the call, I rub my chin in thought.I bet the bitch is going after Elli!

Three phone calls later and Ihave six men now watching over Elli. She’s not going to like it, but I gave themen permission to tell Elli why they are following her if it looks like she’sgoing to run.

As soon as this information fromVarina’s friend is done and I know if this woman is a threat or not I am goingto bring Elli in. It’s time.

A knock on the door before itopens and Igor, one of my soldiers, walks into the office while holding the armof a small young woman. I can see he’s not hurting her, and it appears she isleaning into him a little…interesting!

“Boss, this is Anya De Lillo, shewas Varina’s friend. She has some information for you.” Igor takes a largeenvelope from Anya and hands it to me, before guiding her to sit in a seat infront of my desk.

“There is no need to befrightened, Anya. I probably have the information you are bringing to me.Terizo cannot hurt you as he’s no longer a threat to anyone.” I know she willunderstand what I’m saying without having to blurt out that Terizo is dead.

“Varina asked me to get thatinformation to you if anything happened to her. I wanted to honor my promise toher. But if Mr. Gambolini is dead, are Varina’s mother and sister?”

That has me looking at hersharply because why would she ask me that? I hold up a finger to ask her towait a minute, and open the envelope.

My eyes scan the information andmy temper explodes. Those bitches! They acted so innocent, left no trail on thesurface, and we cannot have dug deep enough because this information shows theywere both up to their necks in the shit with Terizo.

“Get those two bitches in thebasement. I want them out of that fucking house now.” Igor snaps to attentionand rushes out of the office. “I’m sorry Anya, I didn’t mean to scare you. Ihad no idea that those two were involved in all of this. But, I’m telling younow Varina will have justice because I will make sure she does.”

“Varina didn’t want to marry, butit wasn’t you, she didn’t want to marry anyone. She wanted to get away from herfamily, go to work, find a man who knew nothing about her family, and have afamily of her own.” Anya rubs her hands together before laying them in her lap,then continues. “She wasn’t a person who would hurt anyone, but I know she hadput her mother and sister behind her. She would not hold it against you if youhad to, you know, take them out. She was loyal to the family, but she had a needto be free of the blood family.”

“I had no idea she suffered bytheir hands. I wish she had come to me and told me so I could have dealt withthis. I had told Terizo that if Varina didn’t want the marriage that wasalright. I wanted a wife that could deal with the position, and be a partner tome in all ways.” I give her that much, so she knows she can trust me, and thatI have humanity. “I will deal with them.”

“Thank you.” Anya is asweetheart, she obviously is missing her friend, but I can see the relief thatshe has brought the information to me, and fulfilled her promise.

"Are you going to be safe,Anya?" I ask.

"Oh, yes. I’m going toGreece with my brother. He’s a banker and has been given a top job with a hugebank. We only have each other now and he would never leave me alone. We weregoing to take Varina with us, and I think my brother had a crush on her if I’mbeing honest. But, we’ll both move on now.”

“I’ll get someone to take youhome. Thank you for bringing this to me, and good luck in the future Anya. Liveyour life knowing Varina would want you to be happy.”

“Yes, she would. But I’ll light acandle for her every Christmas and on her birthday. She’ll never beforgotten." Anya walks out of the office and I’m behind her shoutingorders for a soldier to take her home and make sure she is safe before they leaveher.

Rubbing my hands together as Iwalk back into my office I’m thinking, “Right, bitches, it’s time to pay foryour crimes.”

Chapter 11

Elli

Inside the Fitness Freaks Gym, Icover my mouth so the smirk doesn’t show, but I’m struggling to hold it back asI watch Tia going through warm-up exercises. She is sweating, cursing, andlooks like she’s about ready to storm out and return home. But we have onlybeen here for forty-five minutes.

“Come on, Tia, take a breath.”Fran, who is acting as our warm-up coach, states, but I can see she’s as amusedas I am, yet holding it together much better than I am.

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